Woodcut of mang niu'er miao, a wild plant, from Yecai bolu (Compendium of edible wild plants), published in the Tianqi reign period of the Ming Dynasty. The illustration is accompanied by an explanatory text:
Mang niu'er miao is also known as dou niu'er miao. It grows wild. The seedlings sprout close to the soil. The stems are purple. The leaves are like coriander leaves. It has small, mauve flowers with five petals. It has sharply pointed seed-pods, shaped like a fine drill. The leaves taste somewhat bitter. Mode of consumption: Gather the leaves. Cook by boiling. Change the water and soak to get rid of the bitter flavour. Rinse. Serve with oil and salt to taste.
Yecai bolu includes 435 edible plants. Below the name of each species is an illustration of the plant, followed by information on its appearance, its properties and flavours, and methods of collection and consumption.
